Lawyers For Defendant In Wesleyan Killing Push For Mental-Health Report

ALAINE GRIFFIN, agriffin@courant.comThe Hartford Courant

Lawyers for a Massachusetts man accused of gunning down a Wesleyan University student pressed the state Tuesday for information on when a mental-health report on the suspect would be complete.

Stephen Morgan's lawyers, during a brief hearing in Superior Court, asked a judge to seek the information from prosecutors.

Middlesex State's Attorney Timothy Liston said the state-appointed physician has met with Morgan and planned to see him again for further evaluation. The case was continued to July 19.

"I am anxious as anyone to move this case to disposition or trial," Judge Susan Handy said. But she said she did not want to rush the report and wanted it to be thorough.

Liston said he expected to have a completed report by August. The state's mental health evaluations of Morgan were delayed when an expert hired last August became ill and was unable to complete them.

Outside the courtroom, Richard Brown, Morgan's attorney, said he was trying to send a message during the hearing about the amount of time being taken on the report.

"There comes a time when these reports need to be issued," Brown said. "I'm sure it is hard on both [sides] … when you get continuance after continuance. Both sides are anxious to have some resolution."

Brown said he expects to go to trial in the fall. Morgan's lawyers say that he was mentally ill at the time of the killing and that two physicians who evaluated him will testify about his mental disease or defect when he stands trial.

Morgan has pleaded not guilty to killing Wesleyan junior Johanna Justin-Jinich, 21, of Timnath, Colo., inside a bookstore cafe near campus in May 2009.